If you’re looking to develop important life skills, there’s likely a learning platform or online course that will help you achieve just that.
During the height of the pandemic, with billions of people across the world confined to our homes for months on end, many of us took advantage of this newfound free time to learn new skills. With traditional classrooms closed for the foreseeable future, online learning took centre stage in our daily lives.
In fact, this period showed the world the true power of the internet as a learning platform. Online learning platforms such as Coursera posted record growth rates of up to 65% as their userbase grew to a staggering 77 million students. Australia has traditionally been a world leader in remote learning, and it has a lot to teach the world about how best to do it and the opportunities it presents.
If you’re looking to boost your knowledge on a topic, whether for work or general interest, keep reading. Here we uncover 3 of the most important life skills you can learn online for free!
What are the most important life skills you can learn online for free?
Important Life Skills #1 – Boost your brain power!
One of the most important life skills you can develop, is knowing how to boost your brain power. While traditional ‘brain training’ games such as Sudoku, crosswords and chess are all good ways of increasing your logical thinking, you might be surprised at the recent research that suggests online games are equally good at encouraging brain growth and neuroplasticity.
Although video games were previously associated with negative brain health outcomes, recent research suggests the opposite is true. One recent meta-analysis of all the existing research on this topic has found that video games elicit structural changes in the brain.
While the research is still in relatively early stages, video games have been positively associated with memory, problem solving and reaction speeds.
If playing video games becomes draining, luckily there are other various games out there where none of these skills are a vital factor for winning. Take casino online slots as an example. You can get fortunate and win big with Megaways, the type of slots that end up in very generous winnings.
#2 – Learn a language
Language learning is associated with a wide range of benefits and it’s arguably one of the most important life skills you can pick up online. It has been shown to improve cognitive function – which includes problem solving skills, verbal and spatial abilities, improved memory function, creative thinking and increased empathy for others.
It also has the effect of, quite literally, opening up a whole new world, as you can use your newly acquired language skills to travel to new parts of the world.
Thanks to the rise of the internet, learning a language has never been more accessible. There are now a vast array of language learning apps and platforms to use, which make acquiring a second tongue more accessible than ever.
The tools available includes everything from games to live TV. Private lessons are also cheaper and more accessible than ever, thanks to online learning platforms. Best of all, many of these resources are free and ready to use in an instant!
#3 – Pick up some career-boosting skills
Another good self-improvement project you can do online for free is to learn career-related skills. This covers a broad spectrum of topics and could include anything from learning to code, networking, SEO and Google Analytics or general career-related skills such as cover letter and resume writing.
Obviously, the sector you work in will dictate which of the available options are the most useful to you. However, learning career-related skills online is a great way to transition into a new job or to change careers entirely. One skill that is useful in a wide variety of professions is project management.
There are so many excellent options out there these days, with everything from diplomas, certificates and full degrees available. While there are many paid options available, there are also a number of online learning platforms that offer completely free courses, making them accessible regardless of the financial resources you have available to you.